At WWDC 2022, Apple yesterday announced RoomPlan, an ARKit-powered Swift API that makes use of camera and LiDAR Scanner to create a 3D floor plan of a room. RoomPlan can also capture key characteristics of the room including dimensions and types of furniture.
Since RoomPlan is available as a Swift API, developers can integrate it into their apps such as real estate, e-commerce and others. For example, a paint company can use this API to create an app that will allow customers to just scan their room and find the exact amount of paint required to cover the room. The possibilities are endless.
Apple also allows developers to completely customize the app’s user experience and scan guidance if required. The dollhouse visualization shows everything in the room that has been recognized. Check out the video below to understand how RoomPlan works.
For advanced scenarios, RoomPlan API can output USD or USDZ file formats that include dimensions of each component recognized in the room and the type of furniture detected. The dimensions and placement can be further adjusted when exported into various USDZ-compatible tools, such as Cinema 4D, Shapr3D, or AutoCAD.
You can check out the video session from WWDC about this new RoomPlan API here.
At WWDC 2021 Last year, Apple introduced Object Capture API that can convert photos from iPhone or iPad into high‑quality 3D models that can be used inside apps for AR. Object Capture generates USDZ files that can be viewed in AR Quick Look. Also, the Scene Reconstruction APIs allowed developers to get the geometric structure of a space. Along with these APIs, RoomPlan will be one of the key APIs for developers targeting the upcoming Apple AR/VR headset which is expected to be released in 2023.
